Running the Houston half marathon in Afghanistan

A National Guard soldier from Katy will run a half marathon on a military base in Afghanistan while her husband runs a half marathon in Houston this weekend.

2nd Lt. Laura Childs, 41, deployed to Afghanistan in September as part of an agribusiness development team. She and her husband, Craig, 45, usually train and run together in Houston. On Sunday, Laura and other troops will run 13.1 miles on a track at her base in eastern Afghanistan and Craig will run the Houston Aramco Half Marathon at 7 a.m. CST, 5:30 p.m. Afghanistan time.

“This race will be bittersweet,” Laura says. “I love the idea of running here while Craig is there, but I’m sure it will make me miss him even more.”

The dual event is the result of coordination between the lieutenant’s team and the Houston Marathon Committee.

Photo by Karen Warren / Chronicle

Runners make their way on White Oak as they pass Stude park in the Heights during the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010, in Houston.

“We were talking — we talk almost daily and at least every few days — and we were talking about how it would be weird that this will be the first time we won’t be running (the Houston Marathon) together,” Craig said.

So Laura contacted marathon officials, and the wheels were set in motion for the tandem race, which mirrors a similar Houston Marathon event which took place in 2007 in Fallujah, Iraq.

“It’s cool. I couldn’t be prouder,” Craig said. “What she does is amazing. What the military does is amazing.”

Almost 150 soldiers and civilian runners, including 34 from Texas, will represent the United States Poland, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan in the race.

“They’re actually based on a (predominantly) Polish base,” said the Houston Marathon’s Jennifer Carmouche. “There’s been this camaraderie not only among the unit itself, but just everyone on the base. It’s truly an international event.”

The race in Afghanistan, on a two-mile loop course about 7,000 feet above sea level, will start simultaneously with the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon at 7 a.m., which is 5:30 p.m. in Afghanistan. It’s conceivable, however, that finish times at each location could show wide gaps. Runners in Afghanistan will have to clear the way if aircraft is required to take off from the small, sand-packed airfield doubling as the race course.

More details from a Houston Marathon Committee press release:

To compensate for the 10.5 hour time difference, runners in Afghanistan will run at night when temperatures are between 20 and 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and snow possibly up to three feet deep — a far cry from the anticipated milder conditions in Houston.

(Laura) Childs said the base is doing everything it can to recreate the excitement and atmosphere of the Chevron Houston Marathon race weekend. The Afghanistan course will have security posts as well as aid and refreshment stations. The Houston Marathon Committee has shipped official race bibs, medals and Under Armour finisher shirts to distribute on race day.

(Forward Operating Base) Ghazni will also host a post-race party celebration in which the General will award the top three male and female finishers with trophies.